School Nutrition
Ames Community School District encourages all students to participate in the school breakfast and lunch program. The nutritious meals served promote better student learning. All fees pertaining to meals (breakfast and/or lunch) and any a la carte items that the student purchases, or consumes, shall be the responsibility of the student’s parents/guardians.
Below is a brief explanation of the meal and snack policy. Full policies are in Series 700 under School Food Services.
- Students who qualify for free meals shall never be denied a reimbursable meal even if they have accrued a negative balance from previous purchases. However, they must pay for a la carte items or extra milk at the time of purchase.
- Students with an accrued negative balance who do not qualify for free meals shall be allowed to charge a reimbursable meal (as defined by the USDA). However, they must pay for a la carte items or extra milk at the time of purchase.
- Students who wish to purchase any extra items, regardless of their eligibility status or account balance, are required to have sufficient funds in their meal account prior to the purchase or they must pay with cash at the time of purchase.
Any charges incurred, until a new application is approved, are the responsibility of the parent(s)/guardian(s) and must be paid.
Students who qualify for free/reduced meals will be charged and deemed responsible for any extra purchases made. This includes, but is not limited to, single milks purchased with a meal brought from home.
The free/reduced applications are available throughout the year and must be completed EACH school year. We encourage everyone to fill out an application, even if you don’t think you will qualify.
School Meal and Fee Assistance
It is the Ames Community School District’s policy to accept responsibility for providing free or reduced-price breakfasts and lunches to eligible students in the schools under its jurisdiction according to the guidelines provided by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The District may also reduce or waive fees based on certain eligibility criteria.
In general, the District will waive fees for students who meet the financial eligibility criteria for free school meals, or the Family Investment Program (FIP), or are eligible for transportation assistance or in foster care. Students who qualify for reduced-price school meals may have their school fees reduced by 50%.
Meal Assistance Forms
Applications for free and reduced school meals/milk are now available through your Infinite Campus Parent Portal. To access the form, sign on to your Parent Portal and select more in the menu and then choose Meal Benefits. If you prefer the online meal application in Spanish, be sure to change your language under your account settings in your Parent Portal. Applications in other languages can be obtained on the Food and Nutrition Services website.
For more information, view the information letter for parents/guardians regarding the web-based application. Families may reapply for waived or reduced fees at any time their circumstances change.
Have questions about meal assistance and how to apply? Visit our School Nutrition Frequently Asked Questions.
Lunch Hero
Lunch Hero is a program where anyone, parents and community members alike, can donate to negative lunch balances. These funds aid in paying down negative lunch balances across the District. Donations made online (debit or credit card) require an Infinite Campus account in order to donate. Cash and check donations can be made in person at the District Office.
To provide lunch for a student for one month the cost is approximately $60.
Please know that the recipient field DOES NOT dictate where the money goes. This account is used across the entire District to help all accounts that are negative. At this time we cannot remove this field and it does require some sort of entry. If you are making a donation in honor of someone please feel free to put that name in the “Recipient” field. Otherwise, please just put in N/A.
Wellness Council
The District Wellness Council establishes and monitors wellness goals for nutrition education, nutrition promotion, physical activity, and other school-based activities to promote student wellness. Members include students, staff, and community members.
If you would like to serve on the wellness council, contact Deb Milliken (information listed below).
If you have any questions, please contact:
